Shed Happens

That’s what the sweatshirt said: Shed Happens.

It was an appropriate statement, as anyone who has ever worn black pants near my khaki-colored dog can attest.

I was thinking of that sweatshirt the other night as my dog and I turned for home, leaving what could have been the remnants of a small furry animal in our wake. She isn’t the only one depositing tufts of fur. All along our favorite hiking trails are the signs of springtime shed – caught on branches, wrapped around old wire fences, snagged against the rough bark of a tree-turned-scratching post. I think of the timing of this, and how I once saw a little bird pounce happily on a ball of animal fur and cart it away to her nest. Since then, I often leave strands of dog fur on my porch. (Dear neighbors, No I’m not just being lazy every time I brush my dog. Some people put out bird feeders, I put out nesting material…)

Who knew a shedding dog & nesting sparrows were a match made in heaven?

Springtime shed makes sense. Animals are losing their heavy winter coats in preparation for the warmer summer months. But springtime shed does not just benefit the one putting on a sleek new summer coat. God’s design is far more intricate than that.

So often we see just one small piece of life’s puzzle. There are so many things we will never understand this side of heaven. But in the intricacies of nature, we sometimes glimpse something deeper. Yes, nature can be harsh. One creature’s loss is another’s gain, and that loss may not be as innocent as a tuft of fur. But in the peaceful symbioses that do occur, we get a glimpse of what Eden might have been. Where all things worked together for good in a way that was immediate, and obvious, and universal. Imagine these simple, mutually beneficial relationships on an even grander scale. Imagine everything working together as happily as a shedding dog and a nest-building sparrow.

Kind of takes your breath away, doesn’t it?

Off to the nest!

Too often the beautiful relationships in this world are overshadowed by relationships of conflict. We live, after all, in a world that struggles with pain and death and spiritual sickness. But if we look closely, we will find that there are still elements of God’s good design all around us. These evidences point us back to a Creator who has not abandoned His beloved creation. God still holds all things together (Colossians 1:17).

Even shed happens for a reason. Think about that the next time you’re brushing pet fur off your pants.

For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. (Romans 8:20-21)

p.s. – Thanks to my photographer friend for these great shots!